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'This is Us' and Instant Pot cause Crock-Pot company's stock to plunge

A scare over Crock-Pot fires is coming at an unfortunate moment for the product's owner, Newell Brands.

On a day when a grim forecast and strategy shift sent its stock plunging 24 percent, Newell is also dealing with a PR nightmare sparked by the latest episode of "This Is Us." A pivotal scene in the NBC drama suggested that a fire started by a faulty slow cooker killed a main character. Newell acquired Crock-Pot when it bought Jarden Corp. in 2016, and it's now looking to tamp down safety concerns among the show's viewers.

The consumer-products giant, which also owns Sharpie pens, Rubbermaid and Mr. Coffee, says the panic is nothing more than a tempest in a Crock-Pot.

"The safety and design of our product renders this type of event nearly impossible," Newell said in a statement Thursday. "Our Crock-Pot slow cookers are low-current, low-wattage (typically no more than 200 or 300 watts) appliances with self-regulating, heating elements."

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